Circular knitting machines



April 1, 1958 H. s. BURDETT CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 17, 1956 INVENTOR I I O EY April 1, 1958 H. s. BURDETT 2,828,617

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 1'7, 1956 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE N TOR ATTORNEY April 1, 1958 H. s. BURDETT CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES- Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 17, 1956 w vEN TOR A TTORNE Y April 1, 1958 H. s. BURDETT 2,828,617

CIRCULARKNITTING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1956 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR A TTORNE Y April 1, 1958 H. S. BURDETT CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1956 April 1, 1958 H. s. BURDETT CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 17. 1956 IN VEN TOR A TTORNE Y April 1, 1958 H. s. BURDETT CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed May 17, 1956 INVENTO H TTORNE Y United States Patent 0 i CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHiNES Henry Sidney Burdett, Knighton, Leicester, England Application May 17, 1956, Serial No. 585,452

Claims priority, application Great Britain May 18, 1955 17 Claims. (Cl. 66-14) This invention appertains to circular knitting machines of the superimposed rotary needle cylinder type, that is to say knitting machines including a bottom or plain needle cylinder, an axially opposed top or rib needle cylinder, which cylinders are arranged to rotate together, double-ended latch needles operating in said cylinders, sliders in the two cylinders for actuating the needles and stationary cam boxes which surround the cylinders and house cams for operating the sliders, whereby the needles can be caused to work in either or both of the cylinders, or transferred from one cylinder to the other, according to knitting requirements.

The invention, moreover, is concerned exclusively with circular seamless hose machines, capable of producing any appropriate articles of knitted footwear such as stockings, three-quarter hose, half hose, and socks, and for this purpose adapted to operate with not only circular motion but also with oscillatory motion for the production of heel and toe pouches.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide, in a circular seamless hose machine of the superimposed rotary needle cylinder type equipped with a main feeder and at least one auxiliary feeder, a generally improved control arrangement for the movable cams and other operable devices at the auxiliary feeder or feeders, as will be hereinafter described.

A particular aim is the provision of a compact and eflicient auxiliary feeder control arrangement designed to facilitate the disposition of the tackle required on a threefeed circular seamless hose machine of comparatively small diameter.

According to this invention, the movable cams in the top and bottom cam boxes at an auxiliary feeder of a circular seamless hose machine of the superimposed needle cylinder type are controlled from a control drum arranged to be racked round about a vertical axis disposed parallel to the central axis of the machine.

Yarn changing mechanism, patterning mechanism or spaced cam tracks disposed in superimposed horizontal planes, each track and the control cam or cams secured therein being opposite, or substantially so, to the relevant movable knitting cam, or the appropriate mechanism, device or attachment to be controlled. This arrangement accordingly simplifies the intermediate connections between the control drum and the components at an auxiliary feeder to be controlled and enables these connections to be direct and solid.

2,828,617 Patented Apr. 1, 1958 In the principal application of the invention to a threefeed circular seamless hose machine of the type concerned, the vertical control drum is arrangedat the back of the machine centrally between the two auxiliary feeders, so that the two sets of control cam levers and intermediate connections, one set to each auxiliary feeder, are symmetrically disposed with respect to the axis of the drum.

As will be appreciated, it is an advantage to provide only one control drum to two auxiliary feeders, and the fact that, according to this invention, the said drum is vertical enables the drum to be located closely adjacent to the two feeders so that the operating connections are short. This, inturn, provides the advantage that the control arrangement is very compact and so economises in valuable space the lack of which around the cylinders of a three-feed machine of small diameter creates problems.

A vertical control drum of the character concerned can accordingly be satisfactorily employed in either a two or a three-feed circular seamless hose machine; when applied to a two-feed machine with only one auxiliary feeder, the set of cam levers and associated connections at one side only of the drum are required. But, for convenience in the following further description, the invention will be mainly described as applied to a three-feed machine without, however, any limitation in this respect.

It will, of course, be understood that the main feeder cams and the primary functions of the machine are controlled from a horizontally disposed main control drum provided at the front of the machine in the usual way.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, a specific constructional example thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of so much of a three-feed circular seamless hose knitting machine as is necessary to illustrate the vertical control drum and some of the connections between this drum and bolt cams at 1 one of the auxiliary feeders,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the bottom cam box of the machine and shows the general layout of the three feeds,

Figure 3 is a plan view depicting, more particularly, the vertical control drum, the connections for racking round the latter and also the means for holding these connections inoperative at such times as the said drum is required to stop racking,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the main control drum and connections actuated from the same for influencing the racking round of the vertical control drum, as will be hereinafter described,

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the vertical control drum per se and shows the two associated sets of cam levers through the medium of which the bolt cams and the yarn changing mechanisms at the two auxiliary feeders are controlled,

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view showing more clearly some of the connections illustrated in Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a further detail perspective view showing the manner in which one of the cam levers is connected with a bolt cam slide,

Figure 8 is a general perspective view illustrating yarn changing mechanism at one of the auxiliary feeders and the connections for operating the same from the vertical control drum,

Figure 9 is a still further perspective view showing this yarn changing mechanism from another aspect, and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective'view illustrating the operative ends of the spring-influenced guides of this yarn changing mechanism.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

Referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that the machine comprises a rotary bottom or plain needle cylinder 1 surrounded by a stationary bottom cam box 2 of annular form, and a superimposed top or rib needle cylinder 3 surrounded by a stationary top cam box 4 of similar form. The .entire knitting head is located between a bed plate 5 and a top plate 6.

The primary functions of the machine are controlled in the usual way from a main control drum 7 which is horizontally disposed at the front of the machine. This main drum is racked round by pawl and ratchet gearing 8, 9 which is in turn influenced by a timing chain it] by which the times of racking are determined all in accordance with standard practice.

As will be appreciated from a consideration of Figures 2 and 3, the machine is equipped with three feeders viz. a main feeder at F and two auxiliary feeders at F and F Thus, in the main feeder section A of the bottom cam box 2 there is a vertically adjustable legging or forward stitch cam 11, a similarly adjustable heeling or reverse stitch cam 12, a fixed centre or feed cam 13 arranged between thersaid two stitch cams, and a reverse welt upthrow cam 14. In the 1st auxiliary feeder section B of the cam box 2 there are provided a radially movable feed bolt cam 15, a stitch cam 16 and a reverse Welt upthrow cam 17 of the radially movable bolt type. Similrrly, in the 2nd auxiliary feeder section C there are a feed bolt cam 18, a stitch cam 19 and a reverse welt upthrow bolt cam 20.

The layout of the top cam box is not shown, although it includes, at each of the 1st and 2nd auxiliary feeder sections, and in addition to a rib stitch cam, a feed bolt cam and a welt bolt cam.

In Figure l the location of the main feeder at the front of the machine is indicated at F, whereas the lst auxiliary feeder is located at P There are also provided, at each of the two auxiliary feeders F and F (Figure '3), a plurality of yarn guides of a yarn changing mechanism. Yarn trapping and severing devices (not shown) are associated with the said yarn changing mechanisms. Thus, as shown more clearly in Figure 9, each such yarn changing mechanism comprises three spring-influenced guides, viz. one, 21, for a single yarn, and the remaining two, 22 and 23, being operable together for feeding two yarns in plating relation. The

plating guides 22 and 23 at each auxiliary feeder are individually adjustable to enable their operative ends 22a and 23a to be set to give the required plating lead. The shank 24 of each of the spring-influenced guides in this example is in the form of a rod furnished with a small block 25 which has a peg or protuberance 26 arranged to work in an appropriately contoured slot 27 in a relatively stationary plate 28 whereby the movements of the guide to and from its operative feeding position are controlled. At its tail end each rod 24 has secured thereon an abutment 29 for engagement by an operating lever 3d. The rods 24 are slidable axially through and turnable in, holes formed in a pair of spaced blocks 31 set on a bracket 32. This bracket has combined therewith a clip 33 whereby it is clamped in position on one of the vertical columns 34 extending between the bed plate 5 and the top plate 6. The slotted plates 28 are attached to and serve to connect the spaced blocks 31, and each of the yarn guides is controlled by a tension spring 35 arranged in the manner shown in Figure 3. The yarn guide on crating levers 30 fulcrum about a vertical pin 36 set in the bracket 32. The two levers arranged to operate the plating guides 22 and 23 are so coupled as to be movable both together. By turning a lever 30 clockwise (as viewed in Figure 3.) a guide is withdrawn against spring action to its inoperative position, and vice versa.

In accordance with the characteristic feature of this invention, the various bolt cams in the bottom and top earn boxes 2 and 4 at the two auxiliary feeders F and F and also the yarn changingrmechanisms .at the said d feeders are all controlled from a vertical control drum 37 arranged at the back of the machine, centrally between the two auxiliary feeders, and to be racked round about an axis parallel to the axis of the superimposed rotary needle cylinders 1 and 3. The drum 37 revolves around a fixed shaft 38 the upper and lower ends of which are fixed in suitable parts of brackets 39 and 40 respectively. The upper bracket 39 is secured .beneath the top plate 6, whilst the lower bracket 40 is attached to the bed plate 5.

The vertical control drum 37 is provided with a plurality of axially spaced cam tracks T (Figure 5) disposed in superimposed horizontal planes and in these tracks are secured control cams such as those indicated generally at 41 and 41' in Figures 1 and 8. Each track T and the control cam or cams secured therein are substantially opposite to the relevant bolt cam or the yarn guide operating lever 30 to be controlled. That is to say, for instance, a bolt cam in the top cam box 4 is operated from a cam or earns 41 in one of the upper cam tracks T of the vertical drum 37 in more or less the same horizontal plane, whereas a bolt cam in the bottom cam box 2 is operated from a cam or cams 41 in a generally opposite lower track of the said drum. Arranged to be acted upon by the cams on the vertical drum are two separate sets of superimposed cam levers 42-one set to each of the two auxiliary feeders F and F The cam levers of one such set are arranged to fulcrum about a fixed vertical spindle 43 secured at its upper and lower ends in bosses 44 and 45 formed on the drum brackets 39 and 40 respectively. The levers 42 of the other set are similarly arranged to fulcrum about a second but shorter fixed vertical spindle '46 the upper end of which is secured in a boss 47 formed on the upper drum bracket 39 whilst the lower end is fitted in a bracket 48 carried by a vertical column 34' extending between the bed plate 5 and the top plate 6. Each of the cam levers 42 is of the bell crank form illustrated more clearly in Figure 7 and comprises a boss 42a from which extends two arms 42b and 420 relatively offset heightwise suchwise as to be located in superimposed horizontal planes. The arm 42b of each cam lever is provided with a toe 420? to be acted upon'by a cam or cams on the drum 37, whilst the outer end of the arm 42c is articulated to one end of a comparatively short and adjustable straight link 49 by means of which the cam lever is connected with the relevant bolt cam slide. As will be apparent from Figures 2 and 7, the outer end of each of the bolt cams in the bottom and top cam boxes at the auxiliary feeders is transversely slotted and has secured therein a laterally extending member 50 carrying a pin 51 with which the outer end of the corresponding link 49 is releasably engaged, Thus, and as depicted in Figure 7, the said outer end 49a of each link 49 is bent round into U-form for engagement with the relevant pin 51, and the spaced limbs of this U have slidably engaged therewith a catch element 52 adapted to engage in a circumferential groove Sia formed in the said pin. A compression spring 53 arranged as shown serves to hold the catch element 52 in the groove 51a. Accordingly, by sliding back the clement 52 against the spring action the link 49 can be readily disengaged from the bolt cam.

All of the cam levers 42 in the two superimposed sets are of the same form. Consequently, and since the two sets are swnmetrically disposed with respect to the axis of the drum 37, the levers of one set are opposite handed as compared with those of the other set. The result of this, bearing in mind that the arms 42b and 42c of each lever are relatively offset heightwise, is that whereas the toe 42d of a left-handed lever (as viewed from the back of the machine) is in a plane higher than the arm 420 of the same lever, the toe of a right-handed lever is in a plane lower than the arm 420 of the latter. Thus where, say, two bolt cams provided one at each of the two auxiliary feeders are on the same level, the arms 420 of the corresponding cam levers .42 will be in a common horizontal plane opposite to the bolt cams, whereas the toes 42d of these levers are spaced apart in'superimposed planes so as to oppose different cam tracks T. This will be clear from a consideration of Figure 5. i In this figure the arms 42c of the top left-hand and right-hand cam levers at the level L are intended for connection with the Welt bolt cams in the top cam box 4 at the 1st and 2nd auxiliary feeders F and F respectively. The arms 420 of the left and right hand cam levers at the level L are for connection with the rib feed bolt cams at the said two auxiliary feeders. In this arrangement, of the group of four cam levers 42 for controlling bolt cams in the top cam box 4, the toes 42d of the two left-hand levers relating to the 1st auxiliary feeder are so disposed as to be acted upon by earns 41 in the first and third tracks T (considering these tracks downwards from the upper end of the vertical drum 37), whilst the toes of the two right hand levers relating to the 2nd auxiliary feeder are so disposed as to be acted upon by cams in the second and fourth tracks. Again, the arms 42c of the left-hand and right-hand cam levers 42 at the level L are for connection with the feed bolt'cams and 18 in the bottom cam box 2 at the 1st and 2nd auxiliary feeders F and F respectively. The corresponding arms of the levers at the level L are for connection with the reverse welt upthrow cams 17 and 20 in the said bottom box. The toes of this bottom group of four levers 42 at the levels L and L are spaced apart heightwise and relatively arranged in a similar manner to the toes of the upper group of levers at the levels L and L These toes are acted upon by the cams 41 For controlling the two yarn guide operating levers at each auxiliary feeder there are provided two further cam levers 54 formed with noses 54a adapted to be acted upon by cams in the lower tracks T of the drum. Bowden cables 55 serve to connect the levers 30 with the evers 54. The two levers 54 at each side of the drum are arranged to turn about a fulcrum pin 56 the upper and lower ends of which, as shown in Figure 5, are secured in bosses 57 and 58 formed on the brackets 40 and 48 respectively.

The vertical control drum 37 is adapted to be racked round by pawl and ratchet gearing comprising a ratchet wheel 59 secured to the underside of the drum, and a spring-influenced pawl 60 mounted upon the outer end of an arm 61 arranged to oscillate freely about the fixed vertical shaft 38, oscillation of the pawl arm 61 being effected from any convenient rotating component of the knitting machine, through intermediate connections of any suitable character, and an appropriately controlled movable catch 62 being provided to hold these connections inoperative at such times as the vertical control drum 37 is required to stop racking.

However, during periods when, by virtue of the aforesaid intermediate connections being permitted to be operated by the continuously rotating component, the vertical control drum 37 is racking, the movable catch 62 is held out of action by latch means shortly to be described, and release of which, to permit of re-engagement of the catch with the intermediate connections at an appropriate instant, being automatically effected from the vertical drum itself. In the specific example illustrated, the pawl arm 61 is connected, by means of a straight link 63 (Figures 3 and 6), with a lever 64 which is rigidly secured upon an oscillatory spindle 65. The effective length of the link 63 is adjustable to enable the stroke of the pawl 60 to be correctly phased. Also rigidly secured upon the oscillatory spindle 65 is a further lever 65 carrying a roller 67 arranged to be acted upon by an edge cam 68 (Figure 3) mounted upon the cylinder drive shaft (not shown) of the machine. The roller 67 is normally held in contact with the edge cam 68 by a spring 69. Accordingly, assuming the machine is operating with rotary motion and the roller is in contact with the edge cam,

the oscillatory spindle 65 will be oscillated to operate t the pawl arm and thereby intermittently rotate the vertical drum 37.

The aforementioned catch 62 is for holding the roller clear of the cam 68 onthe cylinder drive shaft and so preventing oscillation of the oscillatory spindle 65 and hence also racking of the drum 37 at appropriate times. This catch 62 consists of a pivoted spring-influenced bell crank the arm 62a of which, when the catch is operative, bears on an abutment 70 on the lever 64.

The automatically releasable latch means conveniently comprises two separate spring-controlled latches 71 and 72 of lever form with which the catch 62 can be selectively engaged as determined bythe position of an associated lever 73 or the like adapted to be influenced from I the main control drum 7. The construction and arrangement are such that if the catch 62 is held out of action by the latch 71 the vertical control drum 37 will be permitted to continue racking for a suflicient period of time to effect the required sequence of changes at the auxiliary feeders F and F necessary to produce an article of knitted footwear, but that if the said catch is held out of action by the other latch 72 the drum will continue to rack to its starting position and then automatically stop racking. These results are achieved by arranging for the latches 71 and 72 to be automatically tripped for the purpose of releasing the catch 62 and rendering it operative again at the appropriate times from earns 74 and 75 of different heights (see Figures 3 and 6) on the vertical control drum.

Either of the latches 71 and 72 is capable of engaging an upturned end 620 of the second arm 62b of the pivoted catch 62 and holding the latter clear of the abutment 70. The two latches are mounted to turn about a common fulcrum 76 and the high and low cams 74 and 75 are provided in the lowest track of the vertical control drum. The free end of the cam lever 73 common to both latches 71 and 72 is provided with a nose 73a arranged in the path of the said high and low earns 74 and 75 on the vertical control drum, and the outer edge of this lever acts on the inner edges of the latches. As will be seen, the inner edge of the latch 72 is recessed at 72b so that this latch cannot be pushed aside by the lever 73 until such time as the latter is acted upon by the single high reset cam 74 on the vertical drum 37.

The pivoted catch 62 is movable into one of three positions, viz. an operative position (I) in which it bears on the abutment 70 on the lever 64 connected with the pawl arm 61 to prevent racking of the vertical drum 37, an inoperative position (II) in which it is retained by the latch 71 and a second inoperative position (III) in which it is similarly retained by the latch 72. Manifestly, to permit of engagement of the latches with the catch 62, the shoulder 72a of the latch 72 must be spaced a little further away from the axis of the fulcrum 76 than'the shoulder 71a. For the purpose of determining the position of the pivoted catch 62 there is provided a two-armed subsidiary lever 77 (Figures 3 and 6) which fulcrums about the pivotal axis of the said catch. The arm 77a of this subsidiary lever 77 is fitted with a pin 77c arranged in contact with the arm 62b of the catch 62, whilst the second and longer arm 77b of the said lever is connected, by means of a Bowden cable 78, with a cam lever 79 (Figures 1 and 4) arranged to be acted upon by high and low cams such as 80 and 81 on the main control drum 7 at the front of the machine: these cams accordingly determine whether the catch shall be retained by the latch 71 or by the latch 72 which latches are independently biased towards the upturned end 62A of the latch by spring S and S respectively. In this particular example, a high cam 80 on the main drum 7 determines the engagement of the catch 62 by the latch 72, whereas a low cam 81 on the main drum determines the engagement of the catch by the latch 71.

Whenever the catch 62 is held inoperative by the latch 71, it will not be released and restored to its operative position again to stop the vertical control drum ,37 racking until the particular change required at that time for the knitting of an article of footwear has been completed at which time release will be efiected by the tripping of the latch '7 i by a low cam 75 on the vertical control drum itself. On the other hand, whenever the catch 62 is held inoperative by the latch 72, the vertical drum '37 will be allowed to rack continually until its starting position is reached at which time the latch 72 will be tripped by the high reset cam 74 on the said drum as a consequence of which the catch 62 will be released and rendered operative to stop the drum racking.

Now just prior to commencing the knitting of either a heel or a toe pouch by oscillatory motion of needle cylinders 1 and 3, the vertical control drum 37 requires to be racked to render the auxiliary feeders F and F entirely inactive, by withdrawing the bolt cams and the yarns at these feeders, since such a pouch is knitted with yarn fed in at the main feeder F only. Theracks of the drum 37 necessary to render the auxiliary feeders inoperative at these times are effected by permitting the pawl 60 to engage and push high teeth of the ratchet wheel immediately preceding teeth 59a which are lower than the remaining ratchet teeth (see Figure 3). it is accordingly necessary to provide a movable bluiiing member which is normally so positioned as to cover the low teeth 59a and thereby prevent engagement thereof by the pawl 60, this member being, however, automatically shifted under suitable control to uncover the appropriate low ratchet tooth preparatory to the rack which re-introduces the auxiiiary feeders F and W. This means that prior to commencing a heel or a toe the vertical control drum 37 must be racked so as to present a high tooth immediately preceding a low ratchet tooth 59a in the correct position for engagement by the pawl 69. Thus, in the constructional example of the invention illustrated, the bluffing member is constituted by a pivoted bluff plate 82 which is mounted immediately beneath and co-axially with respect to the ratchet wheel 59. The said pivoted bluff plate 82 is pulled in one direction by a tension spring 83 and is adapted to be turned in the reverse direction against the spring action at the dictates of cam means such as 84 on the main control drum 7, through the medium of a Bowden cable 85 connected to a cam lever 86. The purpose of the bluff plate 82 is normally to prevent the pawl 66 engaging low teeth 59:: on the ratchet wheel, this plate being turnable, under control, to uncover an appropriate one of such teeth at the termination of the knitting of a heel or a toe. In this regard there are, of

course, two of the low teeth 59aone for the heel and the other for the toe.

I claim:

1. A circular seamless hose knitting machine equipped with a main feeder and at least one auxiliary feeder, said machine comprising, in combination, superimposed rotary rib and plain needle cylinders: adapted to operate not only with circular motion, but also with oscillatory motion in the production of heel and toe pouches, stationary top and bottom cam boxes surrounding said cylinclers, movable needle-operating cams at the main and auxiliary feeders in both of said cam boxes, a control drum arranged to turn about a vertical axis disposed parallel to the central axis of the machine, said drum being provided with axially spaced tracks disposed in superimposed horizontal planes and each having control cams secured therein, means racking round the drum as required, intermediate connections between the control cams in a higher track of the drum and the movable needle-operating cams in the top cam box, and similar connections bet can control cams in a lower track of the drum and the needle-operating cams in the bottom cam box, the control exercised by the said drum being such that all the needle-operating cams in both cam boxes are withdrawn preparatory to the knitting of heel and toe pouches.

2. A circular seamless hose knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein each drum track and the control cams secured therein are substantially opposite to the movable needle-operating cams to be controlled thereby.

3. A circular seamless hose knitting machine according to ciaim 2, wherein radially movable bolt cams in each cam box at the auxiliary feeder are on the same level, and corresponding drum cam levers connected with said bolt cams by means of short links have their outer ends in a common horizontal plane opposite to the said bolt cams, toes of the said cam levers being, however, in different horizontal planes to enable them to be acted upon by control cams in different tracks heightwise.

4. A three-feed circular seamless hose knitting machine of the superimposed rotary needle cylinder type equipped with a main feeder and two auxiliary feeders, said machine comprising, in combination, superimposed rib and plain rotary needle cylinders adapted to operate not only with circular motion, but also with oscillatory motion in the production of heel and toe pouches, stationary top and bottom cam boxes surrounding said cylinders, movable needle-operating cams at the main and the auxiliary feeders in both of said cam boxes, a main horizontally disposed control drum located at the front of the machine and from which, inter alia, the main feeder functions of the machine are controlled, a second control drum from which the movable needle-operating cams at the two auxiliary feeders are controlled, said second drum being located at the back of the machine centrally between the auxiliary feeders and being arranged to turn about a vertical axis arranged parallel to the central axis of the machine, means racking round said second drum as required, superimposed and axially spaced control cams on said vertical drum, two sets of levers for actuation by such control cams, intermediate connections between these sets of levers and the movable needle-operating cams in the top and bottom cam boxes at the auxiliary feeders, there being one such set of levers to each auxiliary feeder and the two sets being symmetrically disposed with respect to the axis of the vertical control drum, the control exercised by the latter resulting in withdrawal of the auxiliary feeder needle-operating cams preparatory to the knitting of heel and toe pouches.

5. A circular knitting machine according to claim 4, wherein there are provided at each of the two auxiliary feeders a plurality of yarn guides of a yarn changing mechanism, the said guides being selectively operated and controlled from the common vertical control drum at the back of the machine.

6. A circular seamless hose knitting machine equipped with a main feeder and at least one auxiliary feeder, said machine comprising, in combination, superimposed rotary rib and plain needle cylinders adapted to operate not only with circular motion, but also with oscillatory motion in the production of heel and toe pouches, stationary top and bottom cam boxes surrounding said cylinders, movable needle-operating cams at the main and auxiliary feeders in both of said cam boxes, :1 main horizontally disposed control drum located at the front of the machine and from which, inter alia, the main feeder functions of the machine are controlled, a second control drum from which the movable needle-operating cams in the top and bottom cam boxes at the auxiliary feeder are controlled, said second drum being located at the back of the machine and arranged to turn about a vertical .axis arranged parallel to the central axis of the machine, cams on the vertical control drum, direct connections between said cams and the needle-operating cams at the auxiliary feeder, a ratchet wheel attached to the vertical control drum, an arm arranged to oscillate about the axis of said vertical drum, this arm being furnished with a pawl for engagement with said ratchet wheel, a driven component of the machine, connections between said component and the pawl arm whereby the latter is oscillated to rack round the vertical control drum,

and a movable catch to hold said connections inoperative at such times as the'vertical drum is required to stop racking.

7. A circular knitting machine according to claim 6, which includes latch means functioning to hold said movable catch out of action when the vertical control drum is racking, and cams on the vertical control drum for releasing the latch means and permitting of reengagement of the catch with said pawl-arm oscillating connections.

8. A circular knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein engagement of the movable catch with the latch means is determined by the position of a lever arranged to be influenced from the main control drum.

9. A circular knitting machine according to claim 8, wherein the latch means comprise two independent latch members with which the movable catch can be selectively engaged as determined by the position of the said lever, the construction and arrangement being such that if the catch is held out of action by one of the two latchmembers the vertical control drum will be permitted to continue racking for a sufiicient time to effect the required changes at the auxiliary feeder, but that if said catch is held out of action by the other latch member the vertical drum will continue to rack to its starting position and then automatically stop racking.

10. A circular knitting machine according to claim 9, wherein said latch members are adapted to be automatically tripped for the purpose of releasing the catch and rendering it operative again at appropriate times from cams of different heights. on the vertical control drum.

11. A circular seamless hose knitting machine equipped with a main feeder and at least one auxiliary feeder, said machine comprising, in combination, superimposed rotary rib and plain needle cylinders adapted to operate not only with circular motion, but also with oscillatory motion in the production of heel and toe pouches, stationary top and bottom cam boxes surrounding said cylinders, movable needle-operating cams at the main and auxiliary feeders in both of said cam boxes, a main horizontally disposed control drum located at the front of the machine and from which, inter alia, the main feeder func tions of the machine are controlled, a second control drum from which the movable needle-operating cams in the top and bottom cam boxes at the auxiliary feeder are controlled, said second drum being located at the back of the machine and arranged to turn about a vertical axis arranged parallel to the central axis of the machine, cams on the vertical control drum, direct connections between said cams and the needle-operating cams at the auxiliary feeder, a toothed ratchet wheel attached to the vertical control drum, predetermined ones of the teeth of said wheel being of less height, i. e. lower, than the remaining teeth thereof, an arm arranged to oscillate about the axis of said vertical drum, this arm being furnished with a pawl for engagement with said ratchet wheel, a driven component of the machine, connections between said component and the pawl arm whereby the latter is oscillated to rack round the vertical control drum, a movable catch to hold said connections inoperative at such times as the vertical drum is required to stop racking, a movable blufling member which is normally so positioned as to cover the low teeth on the ratchet wheel and thereby prevent engagement thereof by the pawl, and controlled means automatically shifting said biufi'ing member to uncover an appropriate low ratchet tooth preparatory to a rack of the vertical drum to reintroduce the auxiliary feeder.

12. A circular knitting machine according to claim 11, wherein the blufiing member consists of a springinfiuenced pivoted plate which is mounted to turn coaxially with respect to the ratchet wheel and is adapted to be turned against the spring action at the dictates of cam means on the aforesaid main control drum.

13. A circular seamless hose knitting machine equipped with a'main feeder and at least one auxiliary feeder, said machine comprising, in combination, superimposed rotary rib and plain needle cylinders adapted to operate not only with circular motion, but also with oscillatory motion in the production of heel and toe pouches, stationary top and bottom cam boxes surrounding said cylinders, movable needle-operating cams at the main and auxiliary feeders in both of said cam boxes, a main horizontally disposed control drum located at the front of the machine and from which, inter alia, the main feeder functions of the machine are controlled, at second control drum from which the movable needle-operating cams in the top and bottom cam boxes at the auxiliary feeder are controlled, said second drum being located at the back of the machine and arranged to turn about a vertical axis arranged parallel to the central axis of the machine, cams on the vertical control drum, direct connections between said cams and the needle-operating cams at the auxiliary feeder, a ratchet wheel attached to the vertical control drum, an arm arranged to oscillate about the axis of said vertical drum, this arm being furnished with a pawl for engagement with said ratchet wheel, an oscillatory spindle, a first lever secured to said spindle, a link connecting said lever with the pawl arm, a second lever secured to said oscillatory spindle, a roller on this second lever, a driven shaft from which the needle cylinders are rotated, a cam on the cylinder drive shaft arranged to act on the roller whereby as said shaft rotates the oscillatory spindle is oscillated to effect oscillation of the pawl arm for racking round the vertical control drum, and a movable catch to hold said connections inoperative at such times as the vertical drum is required to stop racking.

14. A circular knitting machine according to claim 13, wherein the movable catch consists of a spring-infiuenced bell crank, one arm of which, when the catch is operative, bears on an abutment on the said first lever connected with the pawl arm to hold the roller on the said second arm clear of the cam on the cylinder drive shaft.

15. A circular knitting machine according to claim 14, which includes latch means functioning to hold the catch out of action when the vertical drum is racking, and cams on the said vertical drum for releasing the latch means and permitting of re-engagement of the catch with the abutment of said first lever.

16. A circular knitting machine according to claim 15, wherein the latch means comprise two independent latch levers either of which is capable of engaging a protuberance on the appropriate arm of the catch of bell crank form and holding the latter clear of the abutment, said latch levers being controlled by high, and low cams on the vertical control drum, through the medium of a cam lever common to them both, and the construction and arrangement being such that if the catch is held out of action by one of the two latch levers the vertical drum will be permitted to continue racking for a sufiicient time to effect the required changes at the auxiliary feeder necessary in the production of an article of knitted footwear, but that if the said catch is held out of action by the other latch lever the vertical drum will continue to rack to its starting position and then automatically stop racking.

17. A circular knitting machine according to claim 16, wherein for determining the position of the bell crank catch there is provided a two-armed subsidiary lever one arm of which has a pin arranged in contact with an appropriate arm of the catch whilst the other arm of the subsidiary lever is connected with a cam lever arranged to be acted upon by high and low cams on the main control drum for the purpose of determining by which of the latch levers the catch shall be engaged.

(References on following page) 11 References Cited in the file of this patent 2,552,742

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,092,347 Candle et a1. Sept."7, 1937 2,101,494 Deans et a1. Dec. 7, 1937 5 2,161,880 Miller et a1. June 13, 1939 244,319 2,316,823 Thurston Apr. 20, 1943 12 Simmons et a1 May 15, 1951 Deans May 15, 1956 Bristow Sept. 18, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Apr. 1, 1947 

